


let out a deep sigh

by quanzhes (lovelyebin)



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Produce 101 China
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, F/F, Friendship, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 07:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14564019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelyebin/pseuds/quanzhes
Summary: it's complicated, but then it isn't.weijin likes meiqi. sometimes life just isn't the fairy tale you imagine it to be.





	let out a deep sigh

**Author's Note:**

> this is some.....sad meijin
> 
> angst is Not my strong point but i had to get this out of my system
> 
> in the current storyline:  
> seniors: weijin, yamy, churan  
> juniors: yitian, zhiyi  
> sophomore: jinyu, yanzhe
> 
> and then everyone is aged down one year in the flashbacks
> 
> title from lee hi's breathe

weijin waits patiently at the big oak tree behind the school. her fingers are interlaced behind her back, and she rocks back and forth on her feet, brand new sandals her mom had gifted her for her graduation stiff against her soles.

 

the loud talks and celebration can still be heard from the edge of the field.

 

in the distance, she can see a figure heading towards her, and she smiles sadly, knowing what's going to happen next.

 

  
-

 

  
_the door to weijin's room bursts open and a piece of paper is slammed down in front of her and yamy, the owner of the hand panting heavily, like they had sprinted here. the two juniors look up to see churan smiling triumphantly._

 

_"what?" yamy asks._

 

_churan rolls her eyes with so much force she could have powered weijin's house for a week. "did you even read the poster?"_

 

_weijin scans the (slightly crumpled) sheet on her studying table. it's a dance competition invitation. excitement bubbles in her stomach._

 

_"holy shit." yamy mutters._

 

_"holy shit!" she repeats, grabbing the paper and jumping to her feet._

 

_"so?" churan asks expectantly, hands on her hips._

 

_"hell yeah! i can't believe you actually got a hold of one!" yamy says, beginning to hop around with excitement._

 

_"what strings did you pull to get that?" weijin asks, standing up and hooking her chin over yamy's shoulder to read the poster better._

 

_"i have my connections."_

 

_"we're going to be in a dance troupe! and compete!" yamy screams. churan and weijin yell along with her._

 

_a shout from downstairs telling them to be quiet shuts them up. oops. weijin forgot her parents were home._

 

_"but, after we get more people." churan reminds them quietly. "our routine would look best with four more."_

 

_yamy smirks. "i know some kids."_

 

-

 

churan had held on to her wrist before she left, asking where she was going. weijin's eyes flit to the clock hung over the door of the gym. five minutes until weijin was supposed to meet with someone outside. people and their families have began filtering out the door, the atmosphere happy and celebratory, but the look on weijin's face said otherwise.

 

weijin answers with, "i'm just going to settling some things. better to do it now than any other time."

 

she smiles to try and relieve churan's concerned expression. the shorter girl hesitantly releases her hold and watches weijin walk towards the exit.

 

  
-

 

  
_their trio expands to a group of seven when yamy ropes along two sophomores and two freshmen into their dance troupe. the four new girls are rowdy and have a sense of youthful playfulness that makes weijin's heart warm. they all became quick friends and weijin couldn't be more proud with what they've done in just one month._

 

_it's their first competition. weijin breathes slowly to calm herself down. a hand on her shoulder makes her head turn and she sees yamy reassuring her, eyes soft. they smile at each other._

 

_"oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," yanzhe chants like a mantra, crouching on the ground. she has churan and jinyu on either side of her, trying to ease her nerves._

 

_yitian and zhiyi are off to the side, whispering closely. they've been on edge after hearing that they'd be the first ones to dance._

 

_there's teams all around them, some small, some big, all intimidating. another group walks in just then, dressed in red and wearing confidence in their stride._

 

_weijin isn't one to believe in love at first sight, but when a slender, blonde girl steps backstage and flips her hair behind her, weijin swears time slowed down and light came down to shine on the gorgeous person that had taken her heart just like that._

 

_"your gay is showing," churan whispers._

 

_"shut up." weijin hisses, pink cheeks betraying her sharp tone. she clears her throat and calls for her team for one more cheer before they go on stage._

 

_there's a roar of applause after they perform. seven girls smile as bright as the sun._

 

_the judges call on a one versus one battle. yamy, weijin, and churan are chosen and the other four cheer them on the loudest. yamy succeeds, but weijin doesn't do as great. when churan has to face off with the prettiest girl weijin has seen in her life, she doesn't know who to clap for. and when churan loses, she wouldn't be totally honest if she said that her friend's rival didn't deserve it._

 

 _despite it all, they win the trophy. they scream until their voices are gone and eat until they can't move after the competition and they wouldn't have it any other way. weijin doesn't really remember if she did especially well during their performance, but one thing stuck in her head. the name tag reading_ meng meiqi.

 

  
-

 

  
after weijin leaves, churan frowns and begins to look for yamy. maybe she knows what's going on.

 

  
-

 

  
_"you have a crush!" zhiyi declares, pointing accusingly at weijin. churan snorts._

 

_weijin clicks her tongue in disapproval and shakes off the thought of meiqi's perfect face that pops into her head. "stop-"_

 

_"no! this is big news."_

 

_yamy returns from refilling her water bottle, sitting down beside weijin and pulling out her phone. "what's big news?"_

 

_"weijin's crush, apparently." yitian says from the corner of the room, beginning to turn off the sound system in the dance studio._

 

_their regular wednesday practice had finished, and weijin is now being tormented from all sides._

 

_"who is it?" yanzhe demands._

 

_"no one." weijin groans._

 

_"do we know them?" jinyu asks._

 

_"no, because she doesn't exist."_

 

_"so you admit that it's a she!" zhiyi exclaims._

 

_weijin wants to melt into a puddle of goo. someone take her phone and comment under one of meiqi's practice videos that she loves her on weijin's instagram account._

 

 _"does_ she _know you?" churan asks with amusement, working on her post-practice stretch. weijin resists the urge to suplex her tiny figure into the ground._

 

_"what kind of question is that?" yamy asks, subtly grinnng at something on her screen. only weijin notices._

 

_yanzhe gasps, making churan's connection. "the dance comp. one of the girls there that you didn't introduce yourself to."_

 

_weijin is going to die. maybe not right away, she still needs to talk to meiqi and date her and get married and adopt 3 dogs and live like a happy romance novel couple except they're lesbians- okay. she's got it pretty bad. not that she'd ever admit it out loud._

 

_"you have a crush on a girl from the competition?!" zhiyi screeches._

 

_"leave me alone." weijin grumbles, slowly laying face down._

 

_"weijin's crush; confirmed," yitian says, joining them in the middle of the room._

 

_weijin also notices yamy tense slightly at the topic of girls at the competition at the corner of her eye. huh._

 

_"we're gonna find out one day," zhiyi warns condecendingly. weijin ignores them for the rest of the evening._

 

  
-

 

  
churan meets up with the rest of their friend group after she has no luck finding yamy. they immediately wrap her up in a hug, saying congratulations and throwing the occasional _'ew, you're old now'_. (but churan can hear jinyu already sniffing.)

 

yitian is the first to notice the absence of two people. "where are weijin and yamy?"

 

"weijin said she needed to 'settle things' and i haven't seen yamy since the ceremony." churan shrugs. an thought comes up. her expression starts to darken.

 

jinyu rolls her (red rimmed) eyes. "probably busy kissing her girlfriend."

 

yitian gags, remembering that yamy had invited meiqi to their school for today.

 

"unfair. we can't have a teary goodbye with them missing." zhiyi huffs.

 

then churan gasps softly, feeling dread crawl up her spine. "actually...i think i know what happened,"

 

"what do you mean?" zhiyi asks.

 

"weijin," she stops herself, wondering if it would be the right thing to say. she continues anyways, apologizing in her head. "she likes meiqi. has liked her. even before yamy started dating her."

 

churan feels like she's going to collapse when she watches the girls' faces fall. "she's going to confess to meiqi today. and if yamy isn't here, meiqi probably asked her to come with her without weijin knowing."

 

"oh no." yanzhe says. zhiyi, jinyu, and yitian have matching looks of unease.

 

churan nods. "and i have a good idea of where they are too."

 

  
-

 

  
_"hey, can i tell you guys something?" yamy asks. she looks nervous, a rare sight._

 

_weijin looks up from her notes, and pauses the video of meiqi dancing she was discreetly watching on her phone. "what's up?"_

 

_they're in wejin's room, a place that had officially become a regular study spot for the three of them._

 

_"i didn't want to tell the kids cause i know they'd overreact but," yamy closes her eyes. "i have a girlfriend."_

 

_churan and weijin look at each other and beam._

 

_"congrats!" churan says, raising her hand for a high five. yamy blinks and goes for it, her anxiousness alleviated._

 

_"who's the lucky lady?" weijin asks, smirking._

 

_"meng meiqi. she was in yhgirls at our first dance battle. churan one offed her." yamy says, smiling at the memory._

 

_and weijin starts to feel sick. churan reaches for her hand, sending her a concerned glance._

 

_"i'm happy for you," weijin says. she tries to mean it._

 

  
-

 

  
as meiqi approaches, weijin notices someone else accompanying her and weijin's heart drops to her stomach. it's yamy. her black, floral pantsuit is unmistakable. she and weijin had bought theirs together. of course meiqi brought her girlfriend along. weijin shoves her hands in her pockets and clenches her fists.

 

meiqi looks even more angelic up close, pale blue dress blowing in the wind, hair up, but not too formal, looking she just stepped out of a movie shoot. weijin hates that she still finds her beautiful. (but no, she doesn't hate meiqi. she could never.)

 

yamy realizes that it's her and raises an arm to wave but changes her mind when she sees the serious look on weijin's face. her arm lowers.

 

"hi," weijin says.

 

"hello," meiqi replies softly, and weijin can feel her pulse speed up at the sound of her voice.

 

"you're probably wondering why i asked you to meet here," weijin says, kicking lightly at the ground, eyes downcast so she doesn't have to look at the couple in front of her. "well,"

 

weijin lifts her head and takes a breath.

 

  
-

 

 

_yamy walks into the studio one day with a girl under her arm. weijin takes one look and nearly trips over her own feet._

 

_it's meiqi. there's simultaneously butterflies in her stomach and a longing tugging at her heartstrings. she regains her composure._

 

_"who's the eye candy!"  someone whistles._

 

 _"yanzhe, that's my girlfriend!" yamy scolds. "sorry, that's our youngest. she has no brain to mouth filter. but you_ are _some sweet eye candy. among other things."_

 

_meiqi blushes and weijin thinks it's the cutest thing she's ever seen. and she's had a peek at churan's baby photos. she looks away. weijin can't be angry at yamy, and she never has been, but the scene playing out in front of her has her insides twist with jealousy._

 

_"she hasn't even talked and you two are already the grossest couple i know." yitian complains._

 

_yamy makes a show of kissing meiqi on the cheek. she giggles. "hi, i'm meng meiqi."_

 

_zhiyi and jinyu introduce themselves, and so do churan, yitian, and yanzhe. meiqi makes a snarky comment about her and churan's dance off that makes everyone laugh._

 

_weijin guesses she's going to have to get used to the bitter pining feeling for now, she thinks as she wipes her sweaty hand on her pants before shaking meiqi's. it sucks._

 

 

_

 

 

  
"come on!" churan yells while running, the other girls following her. the old oak is where she and weijin had met yamy in their first year. it's where they promised to start their own dance club. it's where they had an impromptu ceremony to welcome yitian, zhiyi, jinyu, and yanzhe. it's also where weijin had cried into churan's shoulder the day after yamy revealed she was dating meiqi. churan feels her chest tighten. knowing weijin, she'd definitely choose this place to confess. she wills her legs to go faster.

 

  
-

 

 

_"i'm going to tell her." weijin says._

 

_churan looks at her worriedly. "are you sure?"_

 

_"yeah, i hate having it held in. but not now. at graduation probably."_

 

_weijin doesn't mention it after that._

 

 

-

 

  
weijin stares directly at meiqi. her eyes flit to yamy and back. she's still holding the breath she took. "i like you."

 

the leaves in the tree rustle. the wind whistles. the loud conversations of students float through the air. 

 

yamy's brows knit together and meiqi opens her mouth but weijin interrupts before things can tumble downhill.

 

"i know. i _know_ , but i just wanted- needed to say something before we leave. ever since our first competition. sorry if this makes things weird." she raises her arm to scratch at the back of her neck. (her nails press down hard. why did she think this was a good idea?) she exhales and begins to walk past them. meiqi and yamy don't say a word.

 

she's a couple feet away when she stops before she takes her next step.

 

"and," weijin turns back to see sadness on meiqi's features and she wants nothing but to smooth the crease on her forehead out with a kiss, but she already has someone to do that for her. weijin smiles lightly at the both of them. "think you for taking care of her."

 

yamy's eyes shine with unshed tears, jaw clenched and meiqi manages a soft upturn of her lips.

 

as weijin faces the school again, she suddenly sees five girls running at her at speeds that would be almost scary for a bunch of teenagers, but weijin is used to this. churan reaches her first, jumping into weijin's arms that have opened in anticipation after years of experience. then yitian joins them, whispering a fond _'idiot'_ into weijin's ear. jinyu and zhiyi after that, the former already crying, sniffling on churan's shoulder. yanzhe jogs up to them, shooting weijin a quick _'we were always here for you'_ before jinyu and zhiyi make space for her in their huddle.

 

weijin is so overcome with pent up emotion, tears spill over and she holds back a sob.

 

"look, you made her cry!"

 

"we're all at fault, stupid."

 

"don't cry, i've been crying all day,"

 

"we know."

 

"guys, less arguing, more snuggling."

 

and the space around weijin becomes impossibly small, but the feeling of being surrounded by them beings a comfort she didn't know she needed.

 

during this, meiqi locks eyes with yamy. meiqi tilts her head in the direction of the rest of them. a silent permission. yamy sags with relief, striding over and embracing weijin from behind, gathering as many of her friends as she can in her arms. meiqi watches the tender moment for a second, before walking back towards the school.

 

"i'm sorry," yamy murmurs.

 

"you should be," yanzhe huffs.

 

someone smacks her, eliciting a small _'ow'_ from their youngest, and the seven of them share a short laugh.

 

"no need to apologize, what's done is done. you two are good for each other." weijin sighs. churan nuzzles a little harder against her neck.

 

"congraduation?" yitian offers. yamy replies with a watery giggle.

 

weijin sniffles. "i love you all."

 

"oh, don't get sentimental now! jinyu's going to cry again," yanzhe says, voice shaky.

 

"too late," jinyu hiccups, succumbing to a fresh wave of tears. weijin maneuvers her arm to pat (what she hopes is) jinyu's shoulder comfortingly.

 

maybe weijin doesn't get her romance novel ending, but as she's with her six girls, clinging to each other, and tears streaming down their faces, she thinks, that this might not be that bad.

**Author's Note:**

> jc7? u mean my family


End file.
